I have my registration # !!!!!

I've got a registration # YEAH !!!! It took a few trys and lots of help from Child Haven but we have an official stamp and number on my VISA. We are heading off to Varanasi in an hour or so, to join up with our Tour. We have also booked our train up to the foothills of the Himalayas for next week.

Will write soon............
Love Kerry and Beth
xoxo

change of plans

Hi everyone

This post is not from the Himalayas......I got stopped at immigration and was not allowed on the plane , I didn't have the proper registration number on my VISA. I was to register within 14 days of my arrival and I did......... but the small town police didn't give me a number , they just stamped it.

The past 4 days we have been trying to straighten things out. We still need to go back with forms one more time, but we have decided to hire a car and driver, and head out of town for a few days and then join our tour group next Wednesday here in India.

If we went to Nepal, we might not be allowed back in for 2 months. (It's a new policy) We decided to just stay in India and do Nepal in another trip.

It's great to be hanging out with Kerry. We are enjoying Delhi. Kerry loves the tuk tuks. We are taking lots of pics.

Hope everyone is well

Namaste
Beth and Kerry

Good bye to Savarsai

I head out tonight to the Mumbai airport to meet Kerry and then head north to Nepal and northern India. It has been quite an experience here. I have enjoyed my 3months at the Ashram. We have been without power for 3 days now. We often loose power for a few hours each day, but this is the first time in six months that it has been so long. The solar cells were so dirty on the roof that we didn't even have our solar lights for the childrens dorm area. Dinner was by kerosene lamps each night. (we eat around 8:30pm) The drinking water is filtered with an electrical pump and so we ran out of water to drink for the second time this week. Our power was finally restored an hour or so ago. The managers are quickly trying to fill the water tank and make clean water in case it goes off again.

Next post will be from the himalayas.

Beth

Clean Water

Water

In India, clean water is often hard to find. The Mumbai newspaper has reported daily leaks in the water lines and a few major breaks. The one a few days ago, will leave Mumbai with 35% less water for a week or so until they can drain and repair the pipe. We ran out of water last week at the home, and the children had to go to the village to get some. Many village people go to the river each day to wash, and each morning they carry pots of water on their heads from the communal water taps around town. In the city of Pen, there are open ditches along the roads, which I don't think carry sewage any more but they do smell of garbage.

It really makes me thankful for our relativley clean water in Canada and even more interested in finding ways to keep water clean and accessable to all.

Stay well

Beth

Karla Caves

I went to the Buddhist caves in Karla this morning. I left at 6:30 and caught the bus into Pen, then caught the 7:00 am bus out to Karla. I arrived there about 9:00 and took a 3 seater to the base of the mountain. Then its a steep 100 meters up this mountain to the caves. There is a Hindu temple there too, and all along the stone walk way were people selling flowers, incence and coconuts for puja offerings. The main cave was lovely with elephants, decorations and people carved into the stone. The rest was a little disappointing. A large section was closed. I tried to follow a path that went around the mountain to the gompa, but the path got so narrow and it was a long way down, with the rock wall squishing me on the up side. The picture above is at the wider part of the path........it gets narrower around the corner. As most of you know, I am not comfortable with heights and I gave up and went back. I sat for a while under a huge beautiful tree looking at the caves, but the beggars were calling for baksheesh, everyone was staring at the foreigner, calling out "hello" and asking "from where"? It's all very friendly, but not very mediative. I had a bunch young of guys who each wanted to take their picture with me. After a couple of snaps, I was able to stop them by bringing out my camera and I took a couple pictures of them instead. They laughed and mugged for the camera. People here want you to take their picture. (with your camera) they will never see the photo.......... Weird!

Anyhow, I went down the moutain, walked through town and caught the bus back to Kopali, then on to Pen. I saw my first Sadhu (holy man) while waiting for the bus on the highway, and I saw 2 elephants walking down the street in town while sitting at a stop in Lanovali. A couple pigs went down the road too. The 1:30 bus to Pen was jam packed full and yet 10-15 of us squished on as the bus kept trying to leave. Must have been twice the amount of people than is allowed (in Canada any how) on the bus. The countryside was beautiful and we climbed up in the western ghats (mountains) to reach the cave area. Lots of steep hills and switchbacks with good views all around.

I am having trouble adding pictures today. It has taken 1 1/2 hours to upload 2 1/2 pictures. India is not for any of you techie junkies....... Things are very slow, I had picked 7 or 8 to show but I think I will stop at 3 or 4.

Hope everyone is well,
Namaste Beth

Bonnie Ma, as she is affectionately known to the children, one of the founding members of "Child Haven International", came for 3 day visit. The children dressed up and did performances, we had lots of great foods and we had all sorts of meetings. It was a busy few days. It is very interesting to watch and learn all the various things that Bonnie needs to attend to during her short stay. The girl with the chalk on the sidewalk is doing ragoli, it is a colourful welcome that is done outside of the door ways. And that's me in a different sari. (as requested) They are actually quite fun to wear and they certainly do stir up a fuss with the children.

I have just 3 weeks left at the Ashram before Kerry and I do some travelling up in Northern India and Nepal. Next week I hope to tour some Buddhist caves near by here.

Hope all is well,

Love Beth